Our Meaningful Past, Our Bright Future
by samanthabravo
Summary: Karen and Danielle's love story.


**Our Meaningful Past, Our Bright Future**

_**Reposted and now dedicated to KarenDani4Ever. More coming soon!**_

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**First meeting**

An old assistant of Karen's introduced the two women. Karen remembered walking into the busy Spencer Publications New York office feeling completely overwhelmed and a little self-conscious, and even a bit raw. She was clearly the center of everyone's attention. How could she not be with her stomach gently rounded at three months? Even more important, she was _The_ Bill Spencer Sr.'s prodigal daughter. Naturally, they were curious about her, no doubt wondering if she was anything like her rich daddy who signed their paychecks every week.

"And this is Danielle, our star reporter," Julie said. She had shown Karen off to twenty other people at least but it was Danielle's name that would stick in Karen's head. Everything about Danielle would tease and tantalize her for years to come although she didn't realize how much Danielle would come to mean to her at the time. _How could she?_ They were strangers and yet when they shook hands, they didn't _feel_ like strangers…

Karen noticed Danielle had a firm grip and she felt a little, inconceivably sad when Danielle let go of her fingers. "Julie flatters me," Danielle said with an easy smile. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Spencer."

"Karen," Karen choked out, still affected by Danielle for reasons she couldn't understand at that moment. "Call me Karen."

"Karen, it is," Danielle said. "It really is a pleasure to put a name with a face."

Karen smiled. "You've heard about me?"

"Who hasn't?"

Julie looked between them. "Listen, I'll let you two talk. Miss Spencer, I imagine you have a lot to discuss with the lead reporter here."

Danielle smirked as Julie shuffled away. She moved to the chair on the other side of her desk, removing a stack of papers from it and setting it on the edge of her desk. Karen sat down, curling herself into the arm-free chair. She watched Danielle under her eyelashes. "How do - how do you like working here?" Karen asked. It was lame, but it was a start.

"I like it well enough," Danielle said. "I am more of a freelance writer. That's what I've always done but when your father approached me about taking this job, I couldn't say no. We'll see how long it lasts."

"Hopefully, you'll stick around," Karen found herself saying. "I mean, Julie speaks very highly of you."

"She gets paid to do that," Danielle said with a little smirk.

"No, I'm sure you're great."

"What makes you so sure? Have you read any of the lifestyle pieces I've written?"

"Not yet, but now I have something to do this weekend," Karen said, finding she was smiling now. A little cheekily too.

"Now that's not a fun way to spend the weekend," Danielle said.

"What else can I do? I'm three months pregnant."

"It's not cause to become housebound, is it?"

Karen shrugged. "Do you have kids? A husband?"

Danielle smiled. "No kids and certainly no husband. I wouldn't begin to know what to do with a man. I have just never been interested in them."

"Oh. Are you-?"

"A lesbian?" Danielle said. "Born and bred, to my parents regret. Anyway, I'm sure you don't want to talk about that right now."

"No, it's okay. It's a … fascinating lifestyle."

"I don't think I've ever heard anyone call my lifestyle 'fascinating' before," Danielle said with an easy smile. "I've heard it described a lot of ways, but never _that_ way."

Karen blushed. "Sorry. I must sound like such a country rube."

"You don't. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Danielle's phone on her desk suddenly jangled to life. "Sorry about this," she apologized.

"Oh you don't need to apologize."

Danielle picked up the phone. Karen watched her covertly under her eyelashes once again. Danielle was an attractive woman. Very attractive, especially with those high cheekbones and rich sable hair. Karen didn't know why she was so affected by this woman, but she was.

"Okay, Susan, I'll come down right now," Danielle said. She hung up the phone and looked at Karen. "Sorry, duty calls. I need to head downstairs. There's some kind of printing emergency and my article is in jeopardy."

"Oh no. Can I help somehow?" Karen asked, oddly disappointed that their meeting was cut short.

"If you'd like to try. You are the daughter of the boss. Maybe you can talk some sense into that printer," she teased.

Karen couldn't resist following her. Something told her she'd follow Danielle anywhere.


End file.
